The Region of Sardinia will participate, from May 6 to 9, 2024, in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the most important international fair dedicated to inbound and outbound tourism in the UAE, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Dubai-Olbia flights
For Sardinia, this represents a significant opportunity to showcase the island to a new and expanding market. The inauguration of the Dubai-Olbia route by flydubai, an Emirates Group company, is anticipated to play a strategic role in the island’s upcoming tourist season.
The new flight, which will operate every Tuesday and Saturday from June 15 to Aug 31, 2024, will be presented at a press conference at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), 11:00 on Tuesday May 7, where the Regional Tourism Councillor Franco Cuccureddu will be speaking alongside Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations of flydubai, and Mario Garau and Giovanna Loriga, Director and Deputy Commercial Director of Aviation and Marketing of Olbia Airport, respectively.
“This is the first fair I attend as Councillor,” stated Cuccureddu, “and I am confident that it is an opportunity to approach a new and interesting market. I am convinced that the target we can reach on this occasion, with the activation of the new route, which was already tested and activated last summer, will be particularly important for the tourism of our island.
“The goal is to work effectively on our tourist products, which can meet the needs of the public in the Emirates in terms of quality and variety. We thank flydubai for scheduling this direct intercontinental route, and we hope that in the future we can further expand the offer of direct flights with non-European Union countries, in terms of frequency, destinations, and involvement of Sardinian airports.”
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He added; “The target audience, is not only the Emiratis, but also, the many expats, many of whom are European and American, living in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. During the summer, when temperatures in the Emirates are very high, people are seeking a place with a milder climate for their vacations. In this sense, Sardinia represents the perfect destination for them, with its marine and beach offerings, which, given the summer period, will certainly be at the centre of the narrative presented in Dubai, but also with other products marketable all year round.”
Cultural offering
“The cultural offering (such as the Nuragic civilisation, unique in the Mediterranean and comparable to the Egyptian civilisation for the originality and magnificence of its works, or the Domus de Janas, officially nominated for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List), the hiking trails (such as the legendary “Selvaggio Blu,” one of the most famous trekking routes in the world), the naturalistic or enogastronomic offerings.
“Not to mention village tourism, which is growing strongly also because, thanks to work on the territory, it is enriched with new events, or the attraction of major entertainment events, with internationally renowned artists who, especially in summer, come to Sardinia for festivals and concerts.
“During the summer period, it’s obvious, our strength lies in the sea,” concluded Councillor Franco Cuccureddu, “but all the other attractions contribute to completing a holiday offering that we trust will be of great interest to those living in the United Arab Emirates. It should also be noted that Dubai Airport is one of the main hubs for air transport, and thus this direct connection makes Sardinia accessible to visitors from all over the world.”
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
